Healthcare data emerges as top cybercrime commodity

TrendAI’s year‑long research examined 7,779 underground forum posts, 21,813 marketplace listings and 95 ransomware leak sites linked to the health sector. The analysis shows that stolen patient records, electronic health‑record (EHR) and electronic medical‑record (EMR) data now fuel a mature underground economy, with ransomware‑related sales accounting for more than one‑third (36.3%) of marketplace activity. Cyber‑criminals are increasingly targeting health‑software vendors, enabling a single breach to expose hundreds of downstream providers.

The report warns that health data’s permanence and sensitivity make it a long‑term criminal asset, reusable for identity theft, insurance fraud and forged medical documents. “Patient data is a lucrative target for cybercriminals. Health data is permanent, deeply sensitive and highly reusable,” said Andrew Philp, Field CISO ANZ at TrendAI. The study highlights the growing role of initial‑access brokers and supply‑chain compromises that amplify the risk for the entire healthcare ecosystem.